ABQ Times

Registration is now open for the University of New Mexico's Spring 2025 Teaching Conference, scheduled for April 9-10. The theme this year is "Teaching, Learning, and Well-being at UNM."

The conference will commence on Wednesday, April 9 with an in-person gathering at the Student Union Building (SUB), featuring the Teaching Excellence Awards. The following day, Thursday, April 10, events will be held virtually via Zoom.

Organized by the UNM Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) alongside the Faculty Senate Teaching Enhancement Committee, this event invites the UNM community to engage in discussions about teaching excellence, well-being practices, and community connections. Participation is free and open to all instructors, staff members, graduate students, and undergraduates.

For the first time this year, the Spring Teaching Conference will include the annual Teaching Excellence Awards Ceremony. This ceremony is hosted by CTL in collaboration with various academic departments including the College of Arts and Sciences and the Honors College. It recognizes faculty members who have excelled in their teaching roles. Organizers note that awardees are "creative and driven educators who have made exceptional strides in their teaching practices that focus on increasing student success and belonging in line with UNM’s educational mission."

The conference will cover topics such as diverse meanings of well-being; authentic classroom experiences; storytelling as a practice for well-being; pedagogies of well-being in large classes; and centering culture and communal well-being in teaching practices.

Typically attracting around 200 educators each year, organizers describe it as a highlight of UNM's academic calendar. Over its 19-year history, the conference has aimed to showcase pedagogical achievements at UNM while promoting evidence-based innovative teaching methods.

This year's keynote speaker is Leola Tsinnajinnie Paquin from Native American Studies who also serves as a Presidential Teaching Fellow from 2024-2026. Her address titled “Faculty Wellbeing as Pedagogy: Building a Sustainable Community of Practice” promises to offer insights into sustainable educational practices.

Organizers hope that attendees will leave seeing themselves as vital contributors to both teaching quality and learning vitality at UNM.

Registration remains open until March 25. Further details can be found online or inquiries directed to teachingsupportctl@unm.edu